LOS ANGELES — On a recent hot summer day in Hollywood, the duo recording themselves for a TikTok video looked just like any other content creators trying to make it big. With a videographer recording their energetic stunt, as well as a small entourage, it looked like a typical Los Angeles influencer shoot.
But Folayan Kunerede and Bobbi Tyler, known as Flyana Boss online, aren’t under-the-radar artists anymore. Thanks to TikTok, they are musicians on the rise, with a popular single, “You Wish,” countless viral videos under their belts and more than 700,000 followers. As they recorded their content on one of Los Angeles’ busiest streets, they were recognized by excited fans.
While the rap duo’s first few videos with their song got hundreds of thousands of views, their meteoric rise began when they uploaded a running video to TikTok on June 16. The video kicks off with them lip-syncing the verse “Hello Christ? I’m ’bout to sin again.”
“I wish I could say, like, we knew exactly what we were doing, but we didn’t,” Tyler said. “We were just going for it.”
Their latest rendition of the genre had brought them to the Walk of Fame, where they were to record themselves lip-syncing to their song while dashing full speed on the crowded tourist street, dodging unsuspecting bystanders.
The concept for the videos came after a collaborative session with their videographer.
“One day, I just had an idea about running with our videographer, Evan Blum, in a corner holding the camera,” Tyler said. “But then we brought it up to Evan, and he said, ‘I can run,’ so then he ran and never stopped.”
The duo realized they had a hit when their fans started requesting more videos.
“People started commenting, ‘Oh, you should do it here, you should do it there,’” Kunerede said. “So then Evan said, ‘Let’s keep running.’”
Their efforts paid off. Since the first video, the duo have uploaded 11 more running videos in places like Disneyland, In-N-Out Burger and the Santa Monica Pier — all equally as daring and crowded as the ones before. The videos have scored millions of views.
While Tyler said the song’s “hard” lyrics have resonated with people, she knows the duo’s videos have helped give the music a major boost.
“The cinematography is great, and we’re doing something,” she said. “We’re running — it’s one girl and another girl comes up. There are just so many elements that make it eye-catching.”
For those questioning how they’re able to speed through crowds without running into or injuring anyone, they said they’ve never had a problem.
“It’s strange,” Tyler said. “Like, when you just run to somebody at 10 miles an hour, they just move.”
“Actually, we almost hit a baby once,” Tyler added, chuckling.
It’s like our wildest dreams are coming true. And we couldn’t do it without those people who are like, ‘Oh, those are those girls.’
Folayan Kunerede
Many fans in the comments section of their videos have wondered how the video is captured — like how Tyler comes in at the right moment and what the camera setup looks like.
“It’s a secret,” said Blum, their videographer, adding that the mystery is part of the appeal of the videos.
As their song is becoming more widespread and finding continuous success, the duo said, they feel validated for their years of work.
“It’s like our wildest dreams are coming true,” Kunerede said. “And we couldn’t do it without those people who are like, ‘Oh, those are those girls.’”
“Missy Elliott reached out,” Tyler said. “That made our whole day. Keke Palmer posted us the other day. Timbaland hated [the song], and now he loves it.”
The duo said they have no plans to slow down. They have more music in the works, but first they want to travel the world and continue capturing themselves running through crowds.
Next up? “Times Square, all of those lights,” Kunerede said. “And maybe, you know, a billboard behind us, of our faces.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
